Too Deadly: Ten Years of Tarnanthi

Next date: Saturday, 25 July 2026 | 09:00 AM to Monday, 05 October 2026 | 04:00 PM

Too Deadly: Ten Years of Tarnanthi

25 JULY 2026 - 5 OCTOBER 2026

Gallery 2.2, Rockhampton Museum of Art
220 Quay Street, Rockhampton QLD 4700

Exhibition Overview

Tarnanthi is a national festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, presented by the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA). Since 2015, Tarnanthi has established itself as a national leader in showcasing the nuanced complexity and radical ingenuity of up-to-the-minute contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

The word ‘tarnanthi’ (pronounced TAR-nan-dee) comes from the language of the Kaurna people, the traditional owners of the Adelaide Plains. It means to “to come forth” or “to appear,” like the rising of the sun – a universal metaphor for new ideas and new beginnings. Tarnanthi champions such new beginnings by providing First Nations artists with opportunities to create significant new work and to extend their practices, encouraging them to dream big.

Through respectful relationships established over many years, Tarnanthi supports and assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists as they develop these ambitious new projects of artistic excellence. By touring a selection of significant works from the Festival, regional audiences will have the opportunity to connect with deadly emerging, mid-career and established First Nations artists. The exhibition promises to provide an experience of contemporary First Nations art that is enticing, enriching and enlightening.

Exhibition Launch

This is an elegant evening celebrating the exhibition launch on Friday, 24 July 2026, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Experience the first viewing of this exhibition.